Forget the shelf, here’s ‘Elf in the science centre’
There’s a naughty elf on the loose in Newcastle’s Life Science Centre – and he’s posting his shenanigans on the organisation’s social media accounts.
How research at Life is enriching lives
The International Centre for Life is a science village in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne. Nearly 600 people from 35 countries are based here; researchers, doctors and nurses work alongside people in the fields of education, business and public engagement. They all share a common goal to enrich lives through science.
Newcastle University chose the International Centre for Life for the location of its Institute of Genetic Medicine (IGM). The IGM works closely with the NHS Northern Genetics Service, which houses more than 150 NHS staff, including the Molecular Diagnostic Service for the region. Its research has expanded considerably since Life opened in 2000, gaining an international reputation on many areas of the life sciences.
The following is an account of the medical advances being made by Newcastle University researchers at Life to improve people's lives.
Newcastle University chose the International Centre for Life for the location of its Institute of Genetic Medicine (IGM). The IGM works closely with the NHS Northern Genetics Service, which houses more than 150 NHS staff, including the Molecular Diagnostic Service for the region. Its research has expanded considerably since Life opened in 2000, gaining an international reputation on many areas of the life sciences.
The following is an account of the medical advances being made by Newcastle University researchers at Life to improve people's lives.
2017 research highlights:
- The NHS Newcastle Fertility Centre was awarded the first licence to treat patients with mitochondrial replacement therapy. This pioneering treatment, developed at Life, can make it possible for women with mitochondrial disease – a genetic disorder that occurs when the mitochondria of cells fail to produce enough energy – to have children without the risk of passing on the disease to their offspring.
- Stem cell researchers at Life have developed a way of mimicking the complex structure of the human eye and ear in the laboratory. The models will help to advance research into genetic forms of blindness and deafness.
- Neuromuscular scientists working on site have demonstrated the importance of international collaboration and data sharing to advance diagnostics and precision medicine for patients with rare neuromuscular disease.
- Researchers focusing on rare skeletal disorders have made significant progress in using a drug that had been originally developed to treat conditions such as epilepsy to improve bone growth impaired by skeletal dysplasia (commonly referred to as 'dwarfism').
Looking ahead:
- Following an award by the Wellcome Trust, Professor Joris Veltman, Director of IGM, will lead a study on the genetics of male infertility, working in collaboration with Dr Kevin McEleny from the NHS Newcastle Fertility Centre.
- The cardiovascular research team has been expanded and is now in a very strong postion to perform more impactful research and compete for national and international funding schemes in the coming years.
- IGM has a new state-of-the-art NovaSeq 6000 genome sequencer, which can read the complete genetic code of everything in the human body – made up of 3.2 bilion 'letters' of DNA – in a matter of minutes. The new equipment is the result of more than £2 million of investment in bioinformatics and genomics by Newcastle University. It is the first production-scale genome sequencing machine used for medical purposes in the UK outside of London.
- IGM's Public Engagement Committee organises Genetics Matters, held annually on global Rare Disease Day. The event serves to showcase genetic research and to give patient and charity organisations a voice and a platform to interact with members of the public. Looking ahead, the Committee's aim is for the event to grow and become the flagship genetics events for North East England.